The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for―her Choosing ceremony―to end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. Though the whispers contradict everything she’s been told, they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, yet she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker is an intriguing and spell-binding novel that is the first in her Seer Novel series. Rachelle Dekker is the oldest of Ted Dekker's children, and her writing style demonstrates a similar flair to his novels but with her own unique twists. The Choosing is set in a dystopian future where man-made vaccine turns into a Cancer that decimates society and leads to the formation of a new Authority, religion, and way of life. The plot follows the main character Carrington as she becomes a Lint and has to choose if she will obey the rules or find freedom in the truth. I love how the character that is supposed to represent Jesus turns Carrington's beliefs upside down as he reveals what it means to be truly chosen and loved for who you are, not your societal position. This novel is full of analogies like this, suspense, mystery, danger and forbidden romance. Rachelle alternated between chapters early on in the novel that discussed the history of the new society, Carrington's point of view, Remko's (one of the guards) perspective, and the unknown killer's thoughts and actions. All of these different perspectives are related from the third person.

The characters in this novel are well developed and highly intriguing. I enjoyed seeing Remko and Carrington interact with each other and others as they attempted to understand what true freedom and love are. Other minor characters added to the storyline tremendously and helped weave together a truly enjoyable story. I would highly recommend this novel to those readers who enjoyed Ted Dekker's fantasy-style novels, and I look forward to reading the next Seer novel.

I received this novel from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review.